A Dark Brown Dog by Stephen Crane

768 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays on narrative theory

Love and trust come to mind when thinking upon our relationships with one another. There are many types of these bonds whether it be between mother and child or owner and pet. The story of “A Dark Brown Dog”, is one take on how some relationships can leave us with a dark place in our heart.
The story begins with a child standing on a street corner in the summer. When a dark brown dog, with a rope tied around his neck approaches him. The author gives no great detail to the setting of this story. Which leads the reader to believe that one must use their own view from the text and go from there. In this case, it seemed to be in the 1920’s, simply because he speaks on the cobble stone avenue and the trucks passing by. Also the way the story is told, seems to be that era.
After the child encounters the dog they being to play with one another. The passage notes; “the dog became more enthusiastic with each moment of the interview, until with his gleeful caperings he threatened to overturn the child. Whereupon the child lifted his hand and struck the dog a blow upon the head.” (Crane) With this we see the first act against the dog. The dog does not turn violent or try to run away. Instead he summits and begs for forgiveness. He rolls onto his back and gives the child a look of prayer. The relationship roles here become clear the child can play god with this dog. Knowing how the dog reacts to this is showing how the dog’s character is to please his master. They play for a while longer, until the child loose interest in the dog’s antics. He began to head home, when he notices the dog is following him. He decides to get a stick and hit him with it. The dog still summits to this act and continues to tag along. When they finally reach ...

... middle of paper ...

...is, drunk or not. The child cries and starts down the stairs to recover his pooch. The dog is dead.
Ones take of this story can be many of sorts. The dog essential may have saved this young child, his father may have chosen to throw him out the window. If the dog wasn’t there to take his place, who is to say what could had happened? It also shows how the dogs undeniable, love, devotion and eagerness to please his master. Eventually these traits, sadly left him resting lifeless in his young master’s arms. The relationships between these characters, is one of who’s pulling the strings. The abuse has been passed down from father to son. This story leaves an emptiness, with the unsettling turn of events.

Works Cited

Works Cited
Crane, Stephen. “A Dark Brown Dog.” American Literature. Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2013

Show More
Related

  • Richard Russo's "Dog" and Amy Tan's "Two Kinds"

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    Henry was an extremely lonely nine-year-old boy whose greatest wish was to get a dog. His parents were busy with their work most of the time and it seemed that Henry did not have any friends, perhaps because they moved so often. A dog would have provided Henry with unconditional love - something in short supply around his house - and would have been the perfect companion. The problem was, his parents did not want dog, which would have been another obligation and something else to take care of. As emotionally detached as his parents were, something else to take care of was just not desirable.

    Read More

  • Pet Milk by Stuart Dybek

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    The world of English Literature captures the minds of millions of people worldwide. The stories that are read are new and old and continue to capture the attention of people even to this day. Each piece of literature can go in-depth into settings, themes, characterizations, have great styles and the thing most people enjoy... conflict. Most people don't understand or see the messages these pieces may have in them. Hidden sometimes within complex statements or meanings that the everyday person might not recollect. These "treasures" are waiting to be found and are gold waiting to be found.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in "a New England Nun"

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... wildly, beating his little yellow wings against the wires" (259). When Joe is around Caesar, he threatens to take the dog off his chain and release him into the town. To Louisa, taking the dog off his chain symbolically relates to her being freed from the constraints Joe is putting on her. Because she, like the dog, have been alone for so long, it would be frightening to go out and experience new things. People tend to do what they know, and for fourteen years, Louisa and her pets have been accustomed to solitude. The man's influence is seen as disruptive since it threatens change on Louisa's life. The symbolism Freeman portrays between the pets and Louisa is immense and obvious. Because of this, it is easy for the reader to make such connections. Freeman's choices make this an easy to read story that appeals to all readers at all different skill levels.

    Read More

  • Hardships of an Abnormal Child in the Book, The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    He became very strong and aggressive and beating his siblings was not out of the ordinary. But it was not until a few days after the christmas holidays that Ben’s true colours were shown. One of the guests in the Lovatt’s household brought a dog with them, a terrier. Immediately Ben took a peculiar interest. Wherever the dog was...

    Read More

  • Ivan Turgenev And Karl Marx, How And How Not To Love Mankind

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    He saw that dog grow into what he raised him to and yet he got rid of him because he had to. How more human a person is to throw his or her own dog away. It must of hurt him so much since he saw his puppy grow into the dog he raised. I once owned a puppy as well, I adopted a puppy, a Chihuahua from the animal shelter. When I brought him home my mother, whom I live with was very upset because she does not like dogs. Moreover she does not like dogs inside of the house. She is not allergic to them nor anyone in my family she just simply did not want the dog inside nor out side of the house. I was very upset because she asked me to get rid of it. I my self did not have the heart to do so and neither did I plan on getting rid of a little innocent dog who had no place else to go. One day as I come home from school I noticed that Pete, my dog was not outside in the driveway waiting for me. Which was strange, so I came inside the house and notice that he did not bark as I came inside and to my surprise my mother got rid of him. She gave it to a friend who has a passion for animals as well. The example I gave reminds me of Turgenev and Marx. Turgenev representing myself, and Marx representing my mother in my

    Read More

  • Police Canine Research Paper

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    I’ve always felt that animals are the purest spirits in the world. They don’t fake or hide their feelings, and they are the most loyal creatures on Earth and somehow we humans think we’re smarter. I chose this topic about the canine because, some of these canines risk their life’s to protect dog’s best friend.

    Read More

  • The Sun Dog by Stephen King

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    This story take place in the town of Castle Rock, Oregon. Most of the book takes place around the main characters neighborhood and the store in which the camera was bought. In the story it is the month of September. The story stars on September 15, of 1997. The way the time period is associated with the main character is that September 15th is his birthday. So the story begins in the setting of a 15 year old boys birthday party. The other main setting that changes the most is the setting of the pictures that the main character takes. This setting is important to the story because it is always changing, and the story revolves around those changes.

    Read More

  • On The Wings Of This Prayer Analysis

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    The dog they rescued is a particularly prominent topic, a vestige of the past civilizations. In defiance of the treacherous environment, the dog managed to survive, a feat that even Lisa, the most cold-blooded of the three main characters, could not help but be “impressed by” (Bacigalupi 61). Therefore, the dog is a symbol of hope for the reader, an animal that is in the extreme, completely out of its element, and yet capable of surviving. As a result, nature’s idea of itself is astoundingly resilient, keeping certain species alive as an attempt to return to the normal state of the world. Even after horrendous trauma the natural world is still capable of a stalwart attempt at reclaiming itself. Accordingly, it is never too late to start fixing the damages and help nature’s cause, before allowing it to escalate to such a degree where the oceans are black with pollution and there is no room left for the humans of today. Chen could not help but notice that the dog is different than them in more than just a physiological nature; “there’s something there” and it’s not a characteristic that either them or the bio-jobs are capable of (64). Subsequently, the dog has something that the evolved humans are missing, compassion. In consequence, the author portrays the idea that the dog

    Read More

  • Owners' Knowledge of Dogs

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    The inadequate knowledge of dog psychology in owners not only unveils their neglect of responsibility, but models their poor assessment in dog behavior pertaining to the individual breed; in addition, it confirms their shortage of precautionary measures to suppress aggression within the dog. In Don Kapp’s “It’s More About Owner Than Dog,” owners overlook their incapacity to meet the desires of the certain breed. When a person acquires an animal, its essential to acknowledge all “responsibility.” And by this, owners must study about the precise breed, it’s personality type and be able train and “socialize” them. Some owners however, discount the need to adjust early signs of disobedient behavior during the peak “first five months,” where suitable behavior of a dog can be conditioned. Owners tend to treat all dogs alike, yet not all dogs are created equal. All dogs have an intensity of aggression; nevertheless, it is the responsibility of the owner to warrant that they attain solutions to contain that aggression. Trevino and Shuit’s “Mauling Death of Boy by Dog Spurs Warning,” exemplifies the need of owners to inhibit aggression within a dog before it directs to maulings. “Payaso,” a male pit bull conceivably “lulls” owners with affection leading them to believe the animal is normal.

    Read More

  • Banning "A Child Called 'It'"

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    A Child Called “It” brings our attention to mental abuse that adults may inflict on a human being and in this particular case, a child. David’s mother respects the family’s dogs more than she respects her own son. The dogs are fed every day, yet she attempts to starve David. Although David has two other brothers, they learn to call him “the boy” and to pay no att...

    Read More

  • Puppy by George Saunders

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    What comes to mind when one thinks of the word ‘puppy’? It is probable describe a puppy as a lovable, adorable, and cuddly companion. However, one might also identify the animal as a menace and a liability or even as a delicious source of food. Why does this single word hold so many meanings? One’s past experiences and biases influences these conflicting views and attitudes. For instance, an individual’s fond view of puppies may exist because they were raised with puppies and consequently grew affectionate toward the animals. On the contrary, if another individual has not bonded with puppies as pets, then they will share the latter point of view. In the short story “Puppy” by George Saunders, the multiple characters view single events and objects with contrasting perceptions. Therefore, instead of painting a precise picture of the characters and the plot, the story expresses several views regarding the morals of the characters, the motivations of their actions, and the meaning of the events that take place. In “Puppy”, George Saunders explores the theory that perception is not an elementary, universal definition of an object or idea, but a complex interpretation that is influenced by one’s unique and varying past experiences and opinions. The complexity of perception is evident in one the story’s narrator’s, Marie’s, vantage point.

    Read More

  • Vanessa's Responsibility In Half Husky

    528 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story of “Half Husky” the protagonist Vanessa is shown to be more related to many school students, including my friend James,that we all have numerous responsibilities, but we are often distracted, fail to notice or carry out our responsibilities. As we kids grow older and older we tend to notice more responsibilities placed upon us whether we choose to take on these responsibility or they are circumstantial. This is explained by the relationship that Vanessa has with her pet dog Nanuk. In the story Vanessa begged her grandfather to accept the dog into the family, and in return she said that she would take the duty of taking care of the husky. This situation is reminiscent to the time where my friend James told a story of his own pet

    Read More

  • Repeated Theme in A multitude of Sins by Richard Ford

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Puppy” shows Ford at his existential best. In trying to find a home for a dog left in their backyard, a professional couple in New Orleans is prompted to consider the role chance plays in their lives, and thus to challenge the basis of their marriage.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Trust In The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mark Haddon’s book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime mirrors the idea that trust is the glue that holds relationships together and how a lack of honesty and truth can create barriers between loved ones and shows how being honest can fix these problems. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is a innovative and ground breaking novel that continues to show the understanding of the world by Christopher Boone and his

    Read More

  • The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time By Christopher Boone Summary

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” talks about a curious boy with autism whose name is Christopher John Francis Boone. Christopher tries to solve a case of Mrs. Shears,his neighbor, dogs skeptical death. Christopher lives only with his father. His father tells him that his mother died in the hospital, but she really didn't die. She is still alive and is living with Mrs. Shears ex-husband. The reason why Christopher’s mother isn’t living with him anymore is because she cheated on her husband with Mr. Shears. Christopher starts to slowly understand what was happening then he goes out trying to find his mom in London.

    Read More

More about A Dark Brown Dog by Stephen Crane

Open Document